CN113422227A

CN113422227A - Electrical socket, power cord connector, power cord plug and electrical wiring device

Info

Publication number: CN113422227A
Application number: CN202110812996.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 托马斯·L·斯坎齐罗; 爱德华·巴扎耶夫
Original assignee: Hubble Corp
Current assignee: Hubble Corp
Priority date: 2017-01-06
Filing date: 2018-01-05
Publication date: 2021-09-21
Also published as: US20230045040A1; EP3566264A1; CN110431716A; US20230048831A1; US20210203087A1; US12068565B2; EP3566264A4; US20230024505A1; US20230049637A1; US12003070B2; US20240364025A1; US20220393371A1; CA3049409A1; US20240364026A1; US10461444B2; US20230187851A1; US20180198216A1; US20230046084A1; CN110431716B; US20200235499A1

Abstract

An electrical socket, a power cord connector, a power cord plug, an electrical wiring device for mounting into an electrical box are described herein. The electrical socket comprises a housing and a plurality of contact assemblies, each contact assembly comprising a contact member, a wiring terminal and a plunger, the plunger interacting with a clamping spring of the wiring terminal, applying or removing a mechanical load to the clamping spring by a linear movement. The electrical wiring device includes a clip-type wiring terminal connector. The electrical wiring devices include, for example, simplex and duplex jack receptacles, jack-lock receptacles, single or multiple pole electrical switches, combination switches and jack receptacles, jack plugs for electrical wires, and jack connectors for electrical wires. The electrical wiring device includes a plurality of contact assemblies. Each contact assembly includes a wiring terminal and a plunger.

Description

Electrical socket, power cord connector, power cord plug and electrical wiring device

The present application is a divisional application of an invention patent application having an application date of 2018, 1/5, an application number of 201880016266.1, and an invention name of "an electrical wiring device having a screw-free connection terminal".

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to connection terminals for electrical wiring devices, and more particularly to screw-free connection terminals for use in sockets, plug assemblies, plug connectors, switches, and other electrical wiring devices.

Background

Current electrical wiring terminals in many electrical wiring devices are either direct press type terminals or screw and clip type terminals. In the direct press type terminal, a terminal screw (terminating screw) is directly fastened to an electric wire to press the wire against a fixing plate. In screw and clamp terminals, wiring is inserted between a fixed plate and a movable plate, and a termination screw is tightened so that the wiring is clamped between the plates. In the case of the direct press type terminal, if the twisted or solid wiring is erroneously mounted, the twisted or solid wiring may be cut or cut (nicked). The cut or cut wiring may result in a poor electrical connection that increases resistance in the connector, which may lead to overheating. In addition, in the case of twisted wiring, both the direct press type terminal and the screw and clip type terminal may be easily subjected to twist relaxation (strand relaxation). Twist relaxation, which is caused by heating and cooling of the copper wires under the stress of the direct press type terminal or the screw and clip type terminal, loosens the electrical connection between the twisted wire and the terminal, thereby increasing the electrical resistance in the connector, which may cause overheating. To alleviate the strand slack problem, the installer typically retightens the termination screws some time after the initial installation, which increases the cost to the consumer.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments of electrical wiring devices are provided that include a receptacle, a power cord plug and connector, and a switch. In an exemplary embodiment, a blade electrical receptacle includes a housing and a plurality of contact assemblies. The housing has a main body including a plurality of cavities, a front cover, and a rear cover. The front cover is removably secured to the first side of the main body and includes a plurality of plunge blade receiving slots. A rear cover is removably secured to the second side of the body and includes a plurality of wire receiving holes and a plurality of plunger openings.

In one exemplary embodiment, one of the plurality of contact assemblies is positioned at least partially within one of the plurality of cavities, and wherein the one contact assembly is accessible from one of the plurality of wire receiving holes in the back cover and one of the plunger openings, and accessible from one of the plurality of plunge blade receiving slots in the front cover. Each of the plurality of contact assemblies includes a contact member, a wiring terminal, and a plunger. In an exemplary embodiment, the contact member has a contact body and at least two contact fingers extending from the contact body. At least two contact fingers are aligned with one of the plurality of blade receiving apertures in the front cover. The wiring terminal forms a conductive path with the contact member, and includes a contact arm fixed to the contact body, a clamping bracket fixed to the contact arm, and a clamping spring fixed to the clamping bracket. The clamp spring is movable relative to the clamp bracket (clamp bridge) between a closed position in which the wiring can be sandwiched between the clamp spring and the clamp bracket and an open position in which the wiring can be inserted through one of the plurality of wiring receiving holes in the back cover and between the clamp spring and the clamp bracket. A plunger is positioned within one of the plurality of cavities and extends at least partially through one of a plurality of plunger openings in the back cover. The plunger interacts with the clamp spring such that movement of the plunger in a first direction relative to the clamp bracket causes the plunger to apply a mechanical load to the clamp spring to move the clamp spring from the closed position to the open position, and movement of the plunger in a second direction relative to the clamp bracket removes the mechanical load from the clamp spring to bias the clamp spring from the open position to the closed position.

Embodiments of a bayonet-type power cord connector are also provided. In an exemplary embodiment, a jack-style power cord connector includes a housing and a plurality of contact assemblies. The housing includes a main body, a cover, and a holder. The body has a plurality of cavities and a plurality of plunge blade receiving slots. A cover is removably secured to the body and has a cable receiving aperture. The retainer is removably secured to the body between the body and the cover and has a plurality of wire receiving holes and a plurality of plunger openings.

In one exemplary embodiment, one of the plurality of contact assemblies is at least partially positioned within one of the plurality of cavities, and wherein the one contact assembly is accessible from one of the plurality of wire receiving apertures and one of the plunger openings in the retainer, and the one contact assembly is accessible from one of the plurality of plunge blade receiving slots in the body. Each of the plurality of contact assemblies includes a contact member, a wiring terminal, and a plunger. In an exemplary embodiment, the contact member has a contact body and at least two contact fingers extending from the contact body. At least two contact fingers are aligned with one of a plurality of blade receiving apertures in the body of the housing. The wiring terminal forms an electrically conductive path with the contact member, and includes a clamping bracket fixed to the contact body and a clamping spring fixed to the clamping bracket. The clamp spring is movable relative to the clamp bracket between a closed position in which the wiring can be sandwiched between the clamp spring and the clamp bracket and an open position in which the wiring can be inserted through one of the plurality of wiring receiving holes in the retainer and between the clamp spring and the clamp bracket. A plunger is positioned within one of the plurality of cavities and extends at least partially through one of a plurality of plunger openings in the retainer. The plunger interacts with the clamp spring such that movement of the plunger in a first direction relative to the clamp bracket causes the plunger to apply a mechanical load to the clamp spring to move the clamp spring from the closed position to the open position, and movement of the plunger in a second direction relative to the clamp bracket removes the mechanical load from the clamp spring to bias the clamp spring from the open position to the closed position.

The invention also provides an embodiment of the plug-in type power line plug. In an exemplary embodiment, a blade-style power cord plug includes a housing and a plurality of contact assemblies. The housing includes a main body, a bottom cover, a top cover, and a holder. The body has a plurality of cavities. A bottom cover is removably secured to the first side of the body and has a plurality of slotting blade receiving slots. A top cover is removably secured to the second side of the body and has a cable receiving aperture. The retainer is located between the body and the top cover and removably secured to the second side of the body and has a plurality of wire receiving holes and a plurality of plunger openings.

In one exemplary embodiment, one of the plurality of contact assemblies is positioned at least partially within one of the plurality of cavities and is accessible from one of the plurality of wire receiving holes in the retainer and one of the plunger openings and is accessible from one of the plurality of blade receiving slots in the bottom cover. In an exemplary embodiment, each of the plurality of contact assemblies includes a contact member, a wiring terminal, and a plunger. The contact member has a contact body and a contact blade extending from the contact body. The contact blade is aligned with one of the plurality of blade receiving slots in the bottom cover such that the blade can pass through the blade receiving slot and extend from the housing. The wiring terminal forms an electrically conductive path with the contact member, and includes a clamping bracket fixed to the contact body and a clamping spring fixed to the clamping bracket. The clamp spring is movable relative to the clamp bracket between a closed position in which the wiring can be sandwiched between the clamp spring and the clamp bracket and an open position in which the wiring can be inserted through one of the plurality of wiring receiving holes in the retainer and between the clamp spring and the clamp bracket. A plunger is positioned within one of the plurality of cavities and extends at least partially through one of a plurality of plunger openings in the retainer. The plunger interacts with the clamp spring such that movement of the plunger in a first direction relative to the clamp bracket causes the plunger to apply a mechanical load to the clamp spring to move the clamp spring from the closed position to the open position, and movement of the plunger in a second direction relative to the clamp bracket removes the mechanical load from the clamp spring to bias the clamp spring from the open position to the closed position.

Embodiments of electrical wiring devices for installation into electrical boxes are also provided. In an exemplary embodiment, an electrical wiring device includes a housing and a plurality of contact assemblies. The housing includes: a body portion having a plurality of cavities; a front cover portion removably secured to a first side of the body portion; and a rear cover portion removably secured to the second side of the body portion and having a plurality of wiring receiving holes and a plurality of plunger openings. In this embodiment, one of the plurality of contact assemblies is at least partially positioned within one of the plurality of cavities and is accessible from one of the plurality of wire receiving apertures and one of the plurality of plunger openings in the rear cover portion. Each of the plurality of contact assemblies includes a wiring terminal and a plunger. The wiring terminal includes a clamping bracket fixed to a clamping spring. The clamping spring is movable relative to the clamping bracket between a closed position in which the wiring can be sandwiched between the clamping spring and the clamping bracket and an open position in which the wiring can be inserted through one of the plurality of wiring receiving holes in the rear cover and between the clamping spring and the clamping bracket. A plunger is positioned within one of the plurality of cavities and extends at least partially through one of a plurality of plunger openings in the back cover. The plunger interacts with the clamp spring such that movement of the plunger in a first direction relative to the clamp bracket causes the plunger to apply a mechanical load to the clamp spring to move the clamp spring from the closed position to the open position, and movement of the plunger in a second direction relative to the clamp bracket removes the mechanical load from the clamp spring such that the clamp spring is biased from the open position to the closed position.

Drawings

A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an electrical socket having a screwless connection terminal according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the receptacle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the receptacle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the receptacle of FIG. 3 taken along line 4-4;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the receptacle of FIG. 3 taken along line 5-5;

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of the rear cover of the receptacle housing of FIG. 1, with three contact assemblies resting on the rear cover;

FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of the housing of the receptacle of FIG. 1, wherein the housing of the receptacle has three cavities, each cavity containing a respective contact assembly;

FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a screw-free connection terminal for the socket of FIG. 1 in a closed position;

fig. 9 is a top perspective view of the screw-free connection terminal of fig. 8 in an open position;

figure 10 is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of a power cord connector having a screwless connection terminal according to the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a bottom plan view of the wire connector of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a side perspective view of the wire connector of FIG. 10 with the components separated;

FIG. 13 is a top perspective view of a portion of the wire connector of FIG. 12 showing a plurality of contact assemblies within a housing of the wire connector;

FIG. 14 is a top perspective view of a portion of the wire connector of FIG. 12 with the retainer secured to the body of the housing;

FIG. 15 is a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a screw-free connection terminal for the wire connector of FIG. 10 in a closed position;

fig. 16 is a top perspective view of the screw-free connection terminal of fig. 15 in an open position;

FIG. 17 is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of a power cord plug having a screw-free connection terminal according to the present invention;

FIG. 18 is a side perspective view of the wire plug of FIG. 17 with portions separated;

FIG. 19 is a top perspective view of a portion of the wire plug of FIG. 18 showing a plurality of contact assemblies in a body of a housing of the wire plug;

fig. 20 is a top perspective view of a portion of the wire plug of fig. 18 with the retainer secured to the main body of the wire plug housing;

FIG. 21 is a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a screw-free connection terminal for the wire plug of FIG. 17 in a closed position;

fig. 22 is a top perspective view of the screw-free connection terminal of fig. 21 in an open position;

FIG. 23 is a top perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of an electrical socket having a screwless connection terminal according to the present invention;

FIG. 24 is a bottom perspective view of the receptacle of FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is a bottom plan view of the receptacle of FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view of the receptacle of FIG. 25 taken along line 26-26;

fig. 27 is a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an electrical switch having a screw-free connection terminal according to the present invention;

FIG. 28 is a bottom perspective view of the switch of FIG. 27;

fig. 29 is a bottom plan view of the switch of fig. 28;

FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional view of the switch of FIG. 29 taken along line 30-30;

fig. 31 is a top perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a screw-free connection terminal for the electrical switch of fig. 27 in a closed position; and is

Fig. 32 is a top perspective view of the screw-free connection terminal of fig. 31 in an open position.

Detailed Description

Exemplary embodiments of the electrical wiring device of the present invention are shown and described as including screw-free wiring terminals or clip-on wiring terminals. Non-limiting examples of electrical wiring devices contemplated by the present invention include simplex and duplex (single and duplex) blade-type electrical receptacles, blade-locking electrical receptacles, single or multi-pole electrical switches, combination switches and blade receptacles, blade plugs for electrical wires, and blade connectors for electrical wires. The bayonet electrical wiring device as described herein is; a) male (male) blade electrical routing devices having a plurality of non-circular (e.g., generally flat or arcuate) electrical contact blades (live and/or neutral contact blades) that are matable with corresponding finger contacts within female (female) (male) blade electrical routing devices, or b) female blade electrical routing devices having a plurality of non-circular (e.g., generally flat or arcuate) electrical contact blade apertures (live and/or neutral contact blade apertures) that provide access to contact fingers within the female electrical routing devices that are matable with corresponding non-circular electrical contact blades of the male blade electrical routing devices. Examples of bayonet-type electrical wiring devices are described in NEMA standard WD6, which is publicly available and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In one exemplary embodiment, a blade electrical receptacle includes a housing and a plurality of female contact assemblies within the housing, the female contact assemblies being accessible from an exterior of the housing. In another exemplary embodiment, a bayonet-type power cord connector includes a housing and a plurality of female contact assemblies within the housing, accessible from an exterior of the housing, and capable of receiving a plurality of blades of a plug. In another exemplary embodiment, a blade-type power cord plug includes a housing and a plurality of male contact assemblies within the housing that extend beyond an exterior of the housing.

In some embodiments, the housing has a front cover and a body. In other embodiments, the housing has a front cover, a main body, and a rear cover. In each embodiment of the electrical wiring device, each contact assembly has a contact member, a wiring terminal, and a plunger. The contact members are used to form part of an electrically conductive path. The wiring terminals are for terminating (terminating) electrical conductors inserted into the housing, and the plunger moves the wiring terminals between an open position and a closed position. The wiring terminal includes a clamping bracket, a contact arm, and a clamping spring. The contact arms connect the wiring terminals to the contact members, and the clamping springs are used to apply a constant and continuous load (or spring force) on the electrical conductors to electrically connect the electrical conductors to the clamping brackets. The plunger is used to move the clamping spring between an open position allowing the electrical conductor to enter the wiring terminal and a closed position binding or squeezing the electrical conductor within the wiring terminal.

For purposes of this disclosure, an electrical conductor may also be referred to as a "wire" or "cord". Further, the electrical conductor may be any size of wiring for conduction, such as 14AWG wiring, 12AWG wiring, 10AWG wiring, or 8AWG wiring. Depending on the number of conductors in the power supply line, typically, 14AWG wiring is rated between 15 to 18 amps, 12AWG wiring is rated between 20 to 25 amps, 10AWG wiring is rated between 25 to 30 amps, and 8AWG wiring is rated between 35 to 40 amps.

Referring now to fig. 1-9, an exemplary embodiment of a locking blade electrical receptacle is shown. In the present exemplary embodiment, the receptacle 10 has a housing 20 and a plurality of contact assemblies 100 (see fig. 8 and 9 in detail) within the housing, the plurality of contact assemblies 100 being accessible from outside the housing. The housing 20 has a main body 30, a front cover 50, and a rear cover 70. The front cover 50 is fixed to one side of the main body 30, and the rear cover 70 is fixed to the other side of the main body. The housing 20 is made of a suitable electrically insulating material, such as plastic, including injection molded thermoplastics, and is configured to be fitted in an electrical box.

The body 30 includes a plurality of chambers or cavities 32, see fig. 4 and 5. Each cavity 32 is configured to receive and position the contact assembly 100 within the body 30, as shown in fig. 6 and 7. Each contact assembly 100 is configured to receive wiring (such as wiring 700 shown in fig. 5) and mate with a contact blade of a plug connector (such as the plug connector of fig. 17).

As shown in fig. 1, front cover 50 of receptacle 10 includes a face 52 having a plurality of blade receiving slots 54 through which contact blades of a plug connector, such as the contact blades of the plug connector shown in fig. 17, may be inserted into adjacent cavities 32 of body 30 in a conventional manner. The front cover 50 has one or more mounting straps 56, the mounting straps 56 being secured to an outer surface of the front cover using, for example, mechanical fasteners or adhesives. As is known, mounting straps 56 are used to secure the receptacle 10 to the electrical box via holes 58. The mounting strap 56 may also be connected to an electrical ground via contact assemblies 100 within the body 30. The front cover 50 may be secured to the body 30 using mechanical fasteners, adhesives, or welding, such as sonic welding.

Referring to fig. 2, 3 and 5, the back cover 70 may be secured to the body 30 using mechanical fasteners such as screws 72, adhesives, or welding such as sonic welding. The rear cover 70 includes a plurality of wire receiving holes 74. Each wire receiving aperture 74 is positioned in alignment with the cavity 32 in the body 30 such that the wire can pass through the back cover 70 into the contact assembly 100, the contact assembly 100 resting within the cavity 32 in the body 30. As shown, the rear cover 70 may also include a plurality of routing guides 76, the routing guides 76 extending outwardly from an outer surface 78 of the rear cover. In the present embodiment, one wiring guide 76 corresponds to one wiring receiving hole 74. Each of the wiring guides 76 has an arcuate shape corresponding to the circular shape of the wiring inserted into the wiring receiving hole 74. The rear cover 70 also includes a plurality of plunger openings 80, see fig. 2 and 3, the plunger openings 80 allowing a portion of a plunger 150 (which forms part of the contact assembly 100 described below) to extend outside of the housing 20.

Turning to fig. 8 and 9, an exemplary embodiment of a contact assembly 100 according to the present invention is shown. In the present exemplary embodiment, the contact assembly 100 includes a contact member 110, a wiring terminal 130, and a plunger 150. The contact member 110 is made of a conductive material such as brass, copper, or aluminum. The wiring terminal 130 is made of a conductive elastic material: the conductive elastomeric material has sufficient stiffness to bend when a mechanical load is applied and to return to its normal position when the mechanical load is removed. An example of such a conductive elastic material is spring steel. The plunger 150 is made of a suitable rigid insulating material, such as a plastic material or the like. An example of a plastic material is an injection molded thermoplastic. The contact member 110 and the wiring terminal 130 may be formed as an integral structure, or the contact member and the wiring terminal may be separate members fixed together by, for example, soldering (solder) bonding, brazing bonding, or welding bonding.

The contact member 110 includes a contact body 112 and a pair of

flexible fingers

114 and 116 extending from the contact body 112 as shown. The

flexible fingers

114 and 116 form female (female) contacts configured to engage with contact blades of a blade style power cord plug, such as the contact blades of the plug shown in figure 17. The distal ends of the

flexible fingers

114 and 116 contact or come into close proximity with each other to form a grip 118 between the fingers. The clip portion 118 is capable of receiving a contact blade to electrically couple or connect the contact member 110 with the contact blade. Accordingly, each contact assembly 100 is adapted to engage one of a plurality of contact blades of a blade-style power cord plug.

The wiring terminals 130 are mechanical clip terminals that use one or more springs that can deflect under the mechanical load applied by the plunger 150 and can return to their original shape when the mechanical load is removed. The stored energy of the one or more springs should be sufficient to apply a constant and continuous force to mechanically secure one or more wires (e.g., wire 700 shown in fig. 5) to wire terminal 130.

In the exemplary configuration shown in fig. 8 and 9, the wiring terminal 130 includes a clamping bracket 132, a contact arm 134, and a clamping spring 136. The holding bracket 132 is a fixed terminal body, which may be a substantially planar member or an arch-shaped member fixed to the contact body 112 of the contact member 110 via the contact arm 134. The contact arms 134 also provide an electrically conductive path between the contact member 110 and the wiring terminal 130. Clamp spring 136 includes an end 138, a spring member 140, and a clamp arm 142. The end 138 may be a generally planar shaped member or an arcuate shaped member configured to mate with the clamp bracket 132 and be secured to the clamp bracket by, for example, a solder joint, a braze joint, or a weld joint. The spring member 140 has a lower lobe 140a and an upper lobe 140 b. The lower lobe 140a and the upper lobe 140b are configured to interact with the plunger 150 such that vertical movement of the plunger relative to the spring member 140 is translated into applying or removing a mechanical load on the spring member 140. For example, the plunger 150 may be a rectangular shaped member having a recess 152, the recess 152 configured to receive the upper lobe 140b of the spring member 140, as shown in fig. 8. The recess 152 has a cam surface 152a that travels (rides) along the spring member 140 when the plunger 150 is moved in the direction of arrow "B", thereby applying a mechanical load on the spring member 140 that causes the spring member to deflect in the direction of arrow "C" towards the open position, see fig. 9. A clamp arm 142 extends from the upper lobe 140b of the spring member 140 toward the clamp bracket 132 as shown. The clamp arm 142 has an elongated opening 144 and a clamp member 146, the elongated opening 144 configured to receive a portion of the clamp bracket 132, and the clamp member 146 in contact with wiring (e.g., wiring 700 seen in fig. 5) located between the clamp bracket and the clamp member when the clamp spring 136 is in the closed position. The clamp arm 142 is movable relative to the clamp bracket 132 between a closed position (see fig. 8) and an open position (see fig. 9).

As described above, the wiring terminal 130 can be connected to electrical conductors of different sizes. For example, if the jack electrical receptacle 10 is rated at 15 amps, the wiring terminals 130 should also be configured and rated at least 15 amps. The wiring size for 15 amps (i.e., the bare conductor size) is 14AWG wiring so that the clamping arm 142 should be able to move to an open position that can fit the outer diameter of the 14AWG wiring. As another example, if the blade electrical receptacle is rated at 20 amps, the wiring terminals 130 should also be rated at least 20 amps. The wire size for 20 amps (i.e., the bare conductor size) is 12AWG wire so that the clamping arm 142 should be able to move to an open position that can fit the outer diameter of the 12AWG wire. As another example, if the jack electrical receptacle is rated at 30 amps, the wiring terminals 130 should also be rated at least 30 amps. The wire size for 30 amps (i.e., the bare conductor size) is 10AWG wire so that the clamping arm 142 should be able to move to an open position that can fit the outer diameter of the 10AWG wire. As another example, if the jack electrical receptacle is rated at 40 amps, the wiring terminals 130 should also be rated at least 40 amps. The wire size for 40 amps (i.e., the bare conductor size) is 8AWG wire so that the clamping arm 142 should be able to move to an open position that can fit the outer diameter of the 8AWG wire.

As described above, the spring member 140 is made of the following conductive elastic material: the conductive elastomeric material has sufficient stiffness to bend when the plunger 150 urges the spring member 140 from the closed position to the open position while applying a biasing force (i.e., spring force) to the wiring between the clamp member and the clamp bracket 132 via the clamp member 146. By way of example, the spring arm 140 may be made of metal, such as spring steel. The biasing force (or spring force) exerted by the spring arms 140 that clamp the wiring between the clamp member 146 and the clamp bracket 132 should be sufficient to exert a constant and continuous force on the wiring to electrically couple or connect the wiring terminals 130 to the wiring under various temperature and environmental conditions. The spring member 140 is configured such that it is normally biased toward the closed position (i.e., in the direction of arrow "a" away from the clamp bracket 132), as shown in fig. 8. In a normal position with no conductor inserted into the spring member of the elongated opening 144, the gripping member 146 of the gripping arm 142 may be in contact with the gripping bracket 132.

As described herein, the receptacle 10 uses the contact assembly 100 to terminate electrical conductors or wiring within an electrical box. To connect the wiring within the electrical box to the receptacle 10, an installer (e.g., an electrician) strips the insulation from the end of each wiring. In the present exemplary embodiment, the receptacle 10 has three contact assemblies 100 so that three wires can be connected to the receptacle. However, it is also contemplated that each contact assembly may be configured to electrically connect more than one wire to the contact assembly 100. The plunger 150 of each contact assembly 100 extending through the rear cover 70 is then pulled vertically relative to the longitudinal axis of the receptacle 10, i.e., in the direction of arrow "B" shown in fig. 8, to cause the cam surface 152a of the recess 152 in the plunger 150 to ride along the spring member 140, thereby applying a mechanical load on the spring member 140 to deflect the spring member in the direction of arrow "C" from the closed position toward the open position, see fig. 9. With the wiring terminals 130 in the open position, electrical wiring (electrical wires) is then inserted into the appropriate wiring receiving holes 74 in the rear cover 70 of the receptacle 10. The wire receiving hole 74 and the wire guide 76 guide the exposed end of the wire into the portion of the elongated opening 144 of the clamp spring 136 between the clamp bracket 132 and the clamp member 146. When the exposed end of each wire is positioned between the clamping bracket 132 and the clamping member 146, the respective plunger 150 is then pushed back into the receptacle 10, thereby removing the mechanical load exerted by the plunger on the spring member 140, such that the stored energy of the spring member moves the spring member to the closed position, thereby securing and clamping the wire between the clamping bracket 132 and the clamping member 146 to complete the conductive path between the wire and the contact member 110.

To remove the wiring from the contact assemblies 100, the plunger 150 of each contact assembly 100 extending through the rear cover 70 is pulled vertically relative to the longitudinal axis of the receptacle 10 to cause the cam surface 152a of the recess 152 in the plunger 150 to ride along the spring member 140, thereby applying a mechanical load on the spring member 140 to deflect the spring member from the closed position to the open position. With the wiring terminals 130 in the open position, the electrical wiring may be removed from the receptacle.

Referring now to fig. 10-16, an exemplary embodiment of a jack-style power cord connector is shown. In the present exemplary embodiment, the blade connector 200 has a housing 210 and a plurality of contact assemblies 300 within the housing, the plurality of contact assemblies 300 being accessible from outside the housing. The housing 210 has a main body 220, a holder 240, and a cover 260. The retainer 240 is fixed to the top side of the body 220 using screws 242. The cover 260 is secured to the top side of the body using screws 222, which screws 222 are inserted through holes in the face 224 in the body 220 and through the body. The housing 210 is made of a suitably rigid, electrically insulating material, such as a plastic material (including injection molded thermoplastic) or a rubber material.

The body 220 includes a plurality of chambers or cavities 226, see fig. 12 and 13. Each cavity 226 is configured to receive and position a contact assembly 300 within the body 220. Each contact assembly 300 is configured to receive a conductor and mate with a contact blade of a blade type plug connector, such as the contact blade of the plug connector of fig. 17. The face 224 of the body 220 has a plurality of blade receiving slots 228, and the contact blades of the blade plug connector may be inserted through the blade receiving slots 228 into adjacent respective cavities 226 in the body 220 and into the corresponding contact assemblies 300 in the usual manner.

The cover 260 of the connector 200 may be hollow, partially hollow, or solid. As shown in fig. 10 and 12, the cover 260 includes a cable connector 262 at the top of the cover 260. The cable connector 262 includes a fixed bracket 264 and a movable bracket 266, the movable bracket 266 being releasably secured to the fixed bracket using screws 268. Located in a central portion of the connector 262 is a cable receiving opening 270 that extends through the cover 260. The cable-receiving opening 270 allows a power cord (not shown) to pass through the cover 260 so that electrical wiring within the power cord can be connected to the contact assembly 300.

Referring to fig. 12 and 14, the retainer 240 is secured to the body 220 using mechanical fasteners, such as screws 242. The retainer 240 includes a plurality of wire receiving holes 244. Each wire receiving hole 244 is positioned in alignment with a cavity 226 in the body 220 so that wire may pass through the retainer 240 into the contact assembly 300 resting within the cavity 226 in the body 220. As shown, the retainer 240 may also include a plurality of routing guides 246 extending outwardly from a surface 248 of the retainer. In the present embodiment, one wiring guide 246 corresponds to one wiring receiving hole 244. Each of the wire guides 246 may have an arch shape corresponding to the shape of the wire inserted into the wire receiving hole 244. The retainer 240 also includes a plurality of plunger openings 250, as shown in FIG. 14. In the illustrated embodiment, one plunger opening 250 corresponds to one wire receiving hole 244. The plunger openings 250 allow a portion of a respective plunger 350 (which forms a portion of the contact assembly 300) to extend outside the body 220, as described below. The retainer 240 may also include a plurality of plunger guides 254 extending outwardly from the surface 252 of the retainer, as shown in fig. 12. In the illustrated embodiment, one plunger guide 254 corresponds to one plunger opening 250. The plunger guide 254 guides the plunger 350 as the plunger 350 moves relative to the holder 240.

Referring to fig. 15 and 16, another exemplary embodiment of a contact assembly 300 according to the present disclosure is shown. In the present exemplary embodiment, the contact assembly 300 includes a contact member 310, a wiring terminal 330, and a plunger 350. The contact member 310 is made of a conductive material such as brass, copper, or aluminum. The wiring terminal 330 is made of a conductive elastic material: the conductive elastomeric material has sufficient stiffness to bend when a mechanical load is applied to the material and to return to its normal position when the mechanical load is removed. An example of an electrically conductive elastic material is spring steel. The plunger 350 is made of a suitable rigid insulating material, such as a plastic material or the like. An example of a plastic material is an injection molded thermoplastic. The contact member 310 and the wiring terminal 330 may be formed as an integral structure, or the contact member and the wiring terminal may be separate members fixed together by, for example, soldering, brazing, or welding.

The contact member 310 includes a contact body 312 and a pair of

flexible fingers

314 and 316 extending from the contact body 212, as shown. The

flexible fingers

314 and 316 form female (female) contacts that are configured to engage with contact blades of a blade style power cord plug, such as the contact blades of the plug shown in figure 17. The distal ends of the

flexible fingers

314 and 316 contact or come into close proximity to each other to form a grip 318 between the fingers. The clip 318 can receive a contact blade to electrically couple or connect the contact member 310 with the contact blade. Accordingly, each contact assembly 300 is adapted to engage one of a plurality of contact blades of a blade style power cord plug.

The wiring terminals 330 are mechanical clip terminals that use one or more springs that can deflect under the mechanical load applied by the plunger 350 and return to their original shape when the mechanical load is removed. The stored energy of the one or more springs should be sufficient to apply a constant and continuous force to mechanically secure one or more wires (e.g., wire 700 shown in fig. 16) to wire terminal 330.

In the exemplary configuration shown in fig. 15 and 16, the wiring terminal 330 includes a clamp bracket 332 and a clamp spring 336. The holder bracket 332 is a fixed terminal body, which may be a substantially planar-shaped member or an arch-shaped member fixed to the contact body 312 of the contact member 310 or formed integrally with the contact body 312 of the contact member 310. The clamping bracket 332 also forms an electrically conductive path between the contact body 312 and the clamping bracket 332. Clamp spring 336 includes an end 338, a spring member 340, and a clamp arm 342. The end 338 may be a generally planar or arcuate shaped member configured to mate with and be secured to the clamp bracket 332 by, for example, a solder joint, a braze joint, or a weld joint. Spring member 340 has a lower lobe 340a and an upper lobe 340 b. Lower lobe 340a and upper lobe 340b are configured to interact with plunger 350 such that vertical movement of the plunger relative to spring member 340 is translated into applying or removing a mechanical load on or from spring member 340. For example, the plunger 350 may be a rectangular shaped member having a recess 352, the recess 352 configured to receive the upper lobe 340b of the spring member 340, as shown in fig. 15. The recess 352 has a cam surface 352a that travels along the spring member 340 as the plunger 350 moves in the direction of arrow "E", thereby applying a mechanical load on the spring 340 that causes the spring member to deflect in the direction of arrow "F" toward the open position, see fig. 16. The clamp arm 342 extends from the upper lobe 340b of the spring member 340 toward the clamp bracket 332 as shown. The clamp arm 342 has an elongated opening 344 and a clamp member 346, the elongated opening 344 being configured to receive a portion of the clamp bracket 332, and the clamp member 346 being in contact with wiring (e.g., wiring 700 seen in fig. 16) located between the clamp bracket and the clamp member when the clamp spring 336 is in the closed position, see fig. 15. The clamp arm 342 is movable relative to the clamp bracket 332 between a closed position (see fig. 15) and an open position (see fig. 16).

As described above, the wiring terminal 330 can be connected to conductors of different sizes. For example, if the blade connector 200 is rated at 15 amps, the wiring terminals 330 should also be configured and rated at least 15 amps. The wiring size for 15 amps (i.e., bare conductor size) is 14AWG wiring so that the clamping arm 342 should be able to move to an open position that can fit the outer diameter of the 14AWG wiring. As another example, if the blade connector 200 is rated for 20 amps, the wiring terminals 330 should also be rated for at least 20 amps. The wire size for 20 amps (i.e., bare conductor size) is 12AWG wire so that the clamping arm 342 should be able to move to an open position that can fit the outer diameter of the 12AWG wire. As another example, if the blade connector 200 is rated for 30 amps, then the wiring terminals 330 should also be rated for at least 30 amps. The wire size for 30 amps (i.e., the bare conductor size) is 10AWG wire so that the clamping arm 342 should be able to move to an open position that can fit the outer diameter of the 10AWG wire. As another example, if the blade connector 200 is rated at 40 amps, then the wiring terminals 330 should also be rated at least 40 amps. The wire size for 40 amps (i.e., the bare conductor size) is 8AWG wire so that the clamping arm 342 should be able to move to an open position that can fit the outer diameter of the 8AWG wire.

As described above, the spring member 340 is made of the following conductive elastic material: the conductive elastomeric material has sufficient stiffness to bend when the plunger 350 urges the spring member 340 from the closed position to the open position while applying a biasing force (i.e., spring force) to the clamping member 346 to secure and clamp the wire between the clamping member and the clamping bracket 332. By way of example, the spring arm 340 may be made of a metal such as spring steel. The biasing force (or spring force) exerted by the spring arms 340 that clamp the wiring between the clamp member 346 and the clamp bracket 332 should be sufficient to exert a constant and continuous force on the wiring to electrically couple or connect the wiring terminals 330 to the wiring under various temperature and environmental conditions. The spring member 340 is configured such that it is normally biased toward the closed position (i.e., in the direction of arrow "D" away from the clamp bracket 332), as shown in fig. 15. In a normal position with no conductor inserted into the spring member of the elongated opening 344, the clamping member 346 of the clamping arm 342 may be in contact with the clamping bracket 332.

As described herein, the connector 200 uses the contact assembly 300 to terminate electrical wiring within the connector. To connect the wiring within the connector 200, an installer (e.g., an electrician) passes the wiring cable through the cable receiving opening 270 in the cover 260. The insulation at the end of each wire within the cable is then stripped. In the present exemplary embodiment, the connector 200 has three contact assemblies 300 so that three wires within a wiring cable can be connected to the connector. A portion of the plunger 350 for each contact assembly 300 extending through the retainer 240 is then pulled vertically relative to the longitudinal axis of the connector 200, i.e., in the direction of arrow "E" shown in fig. 15, to cause the cam surface 352a of the notch 352 in the plunger 350 to ride along the spring member 340, thereby applying a mechanical load thereon. Applying a mechanical load to the spring member 340 in this manner causes the spring member to deflect in the direction of arrow "F" (i.e., from the closed position toward the open position), as shown in fig. 16. Then, with the wiring terminals 330 in the open position, the electrical wiring is inserted into the appropriate wiring receiving holes 244 in the holder 240 of the connector 200. The wire receiving hole 244 and the wire guide 246 guide the exposed end of the wire into a portion of the elongated opening 344 of the clamp spring 336 between the clamp bracket 332 and the clamp member 346. Subsequently, when the exposed end of each wire is positioned between the clamping bracket 332 and the clamping member 346, the respective plunger 350 is pushed back towards the body 220, thereby removing the mechanical load exerted by the plunger on the spring member 340, such that the stored energy of the spring member biases the spring member towards a closed position securing the wire between the clamping bracket 332 and the clamping member 246 and completing the conductive path between the wire and the contact member 310. To remove the wiring from the contact assemblies 300, the plunger 350 of each contact assembly 300 extending through the retainer 240 is pulled vertically relative to the longitudinal axis of the connector 200 to cause the cam surface 352a of the recess 352 in the plunger 350 to ride along the spring member 340, thereby applying a mechanical load on the spring member 340 to deflect the spring member from the closed position to the open position. With the wiring terminals 330 in the open position, the electrical wiring may be removed from the connector 200.

Referring now to fig. 17-22, an exemplary embodiment of a bayonet style power cord plug is shown. In the present exemplary embodiment, the blade plug 400 has a housing 410 and a plurality of contact assemblies 500 within the housing, the plurality of contact assemblies 500 extending at least partially outside of the housing. As shown in fig. 18, the case 410 has a body 420, a bottom cover 440, a holder 460, and a top cover 480. The retainer 460 is secured to the top side of the body 420 using screws 462. The bottom cover 440 is secured to the top cover 480 by screws 442 through the faces 444 and holes 446 in the bottom cover 440, through corresponding holes 422 in the body 420, and through corresponding holes 464 in the retainer 460. The screws 442 are then secured to corresponding mounting holes (not shown) in the top cover 480. The housing 410 is made of a suitable rigid electrically insulating material, such as a plastic material or a rubber material. An example of a plastic material is an injection molded thermoplastic.

The body 420 includes a plurality of chambers or cavities 424, see fig. 18 and 19. Each cavity 424 is configured to receive and position a contact assembly 500 within the body 420. Each contact assembly 500 is configured to receive a conductor and mate with a female contact of a blade connector, such as the female contact of fig. 8 or 15. The face 444 of the bottom cover 440 has a plurality of blade receiving slots 448 through which the contact blades 514 of the contact assembly 500 may be inserted such that the contact blades extend outside of the housing 410.

The bottom cover 440 helps to retain the contact assemblies 500 within the body 420 when the bottom cover 440 is secured to the top cover 480. The top cover 480 of the connector 400 may be hollow, partially hollow, or solid. As shown in fig. 17 and 18, the cover 480 includes a cable connector 482 located at the top of the cover 480. The cable connector 482 includes a fixed bracket 484 and a movable bracket 486, the movable bracket 486 being releasably secured to the fixed bracket using a screw 488. In a central portion of the connector 482 is a cable receiving opening 490 extending through the cover 480. The cable receiving opening 490 allows a power cord (not shown) to pass through the cover 480 so that electrical wiring within the power cord can be connected to the contact assembly 500.

Referring to fig. 18 and 20, the retainer 460 is secured to the body 420 using mechanical fasteners, such as screws 462. The retainer 460 includes a plurality of wiring receiving holes 466. Each wire receiving aperture 466 is positioned to align with a cavity 424 in the main body 420 such that wire may pass through the retainer 460 into the contact assembly 500 resting within the cavity 424 in the main body 420. As shown, the retainer 460 may also include a plurality of routing guides 468 extending outwardly from a surface 470 of the retainer. In the present embodiment, one wiring guide 468 corresponds to one wiring receiving hole 466. Each of the wire guides 468 may have an arcuate shape corresponding to the shape of the wire inserted into the wire receiving hole 466. The retainer 460 also includes a plurality of plunger openings 472. In the illustrated embodiment, one plunger opening 472 corresponds to one wire receiving aperture 466. The plunger openings 472 allow a portion of a respective plunger 550 (which forms a portion of the contact assembly 500), described below, to extend outside the body 420 and into the top cap 480.

Referring now to fig. 21 and 22, another exemplary embodiment of a contact assembly according to the present disclosure is shown. In the present exemplary embodiment, the contact assembly 500 includes a contact member 510, a wiring terminal 530, and a plunger 550. The contact member 510 is made of a conductive material such as brass, copper, or aluminum. The wiring terminal 530 is made of a conductive elastic material: the conductive elastomeric material has sufficient stiffness to bend when a mechanical load is applied and to return to its normal position when the mechanical load is removed. An example of an electrically conductive elastic material is spring steel. The plunger 550 is made of a rigid insulating material, such as a plastic material or the like. An example of a plastic material is an injection molded thermoplastic. The contact member 510 and the wiring terminal 530 may be formed as an integral structure, or the contact member and the wiring terminal may be separate members fixed together by, for example, soldering, brazing, or welding.

The contact member 510 includes a contact body 512 and a blade 514 extending from the contact body 512, as shown. The shape of the slotting tool 514 is non-circular and may be, for example, a substantially flat shape, an arcuate shape, an L-shape, or a U-shape. The blades 514 form male contacts that are configured to engage female contacts of a blade receptacle or blade power cord connector. The wiring terminals 530 are mechanical clip terminals that use one or more springs that can deflect under the mechanical load applied by the plunger 550 and return to the original shape of the spring when the mechanical load is removed. The stored energy of the one or more springs should be sufficient to apply a constant and continuous force to mechanically secure one or more wires (e.g., wire 700 shown in fig. 22) to wire terminal 530.

In the exemplary configuration shown in fig. 21 and 22, the wiring terminal 530 includes a clamping bracket 532 and a clamping spring 536. The clip holder 532 is a fixed terminal body, which may be a substantially planar-shaped member or an arcuate-shaped member fixed to the contact body 512 of the contact member 510 or formed integrally with the contact body 512 of the contact member 510. The clamping bracket 532 also forms an electrically conductive path between the contact body 512 and the clamping bracket 532. Clamp spring 536 includes an end, a spring member 540, and a clamp arm 542. The end portion may be a generally planar-shaped member or an arcuate-shaped member configured to mate with and be secured to the clamp bracket 532 by, for example, soldering, brazing, or welding. Spring member 540 has a lower lobe 540a and an upper lobe 540 b. Lower lobe 540a and upper lobe 540b are configured to interact with plunger 550 such that vertical movement of the plunger relative to spring member 540 is translated into applying or removing a mechanical load on spring member 540. For example, plunger 550 may be a rectangular shaped member having a recess 552, the recess 552 configured to receive upper lobe 540b of spring member 540, as shown in fig. 21. The recess 552 has a cam surface 552a that travels along the spring member 540 as the plunger 550 moves in the direction of arrow "H", thereby exerting a load on the spring 540 that causes the spring member to deflect in the direction of arrow "I" toward the open position, see fig. 22. Clamp arm 542 extends from upper lobe 540b of spring member 540 toward clamp bracket 532 as shown. The clamp arm 542 has an elongated opening 544 and a clamp member 546, the elongated opening 544 configured to receive a portion of the clamp bracket 532, and the clamp member 546 in contact with wiring (e.g., wiring 700 seen in fig. 22) located between the clamp bracket and the clamp member when the clamp spring 536 is in the closed position. Clamp arm 542 is movable relative to clamp bracket 532 between a closed position (see fig. 21) and an open position (see fig. 22).

As described above, the wiring terminal 530 may be connected to conductors of different sizes. For example, if the plug 400 is rated at 15 amps, the wiring terminals 530 should also be configured and rated at least 15 amps. The wiring size for 15 amps (i.e., bare conductor size) is 14AWG wiring so that the clamping arm 542 should be able to move to an open position that can fit the outer diameter of the 14AWG wiring. As another example, if the plug 400 is rated at 20 amps, then the wiring terminals 530 should also be rated at least 20 amps. The wire size for 20 amps (i.e., bare conductor size) is 12AWG wire so that the clamping arm 542 should be able to move to an open position that can fit the outer diameter of the 12AWG wire. As another example, if the plug 400 is rated at 30 amps, then the wiring terminals 530 should also be rated at least 30 amps. The wire size for 30 amps (i.e., the bare conductor size) is 10AWG wire so that the clamping arm 542 should be able to move to an open position that can fit the outer diameter of the 10AWG wire. As another example, if the plug 400 is rated at 40 amps, then the wiring terminals 530 should also be rated at least 40 amps. The wire size for 40 amps (i.e., the bare conductor size) is 8AWG wire so that the clamping arm 542 should be able to move to an open position that can fit the outer diameter of the 8AWG wire.

As described above, the spring member 540 is made of the following conductive elastic material: the conductive elastomeric material has sufficient stiffness to bend as the plunger 550 urges the spring member 540 from the closed position to the open position while applying a biasing force (i.e., spring force) to the clamping member 546 to secure and clamp the wiring between the clamping member and the clamping bracket 532. By way of example, the spring arm 540 may be made of a metal such as spring steel. The biasing force exerted by the spring arms 540 that clamp the wire between the clamping feature 546 and the clamping bracket 532 should be sufficient to exert a constant and continuous force on the wire to electrically couple or connect the wire terminal 530 to the wire under various temperature and environmental conditions. The spring member 540 is configured such that it is normally biased toward the closed position (i.e., in the direction of arrow "G" away from the clamp bracket 532), as shown in fig. 21. In a normal position with no conductors inserted into the spring members of elongated openings 544, clamp members 546 of clamp arms 542 may be in contact with clamp bracket 532.

As described herein, the plug 400 uses the contact assembly 500 to terminate electrical wiring within a blade plug. To connect the wiring within the plug 400, the installer passes the wiring cable through the cable-receiving opening 490 in the cover 480. The insulation at the end of each wire within the cable is then stripped. In the present exemplary embodiment, the plug 400 has three contact assemblies 500 so that three wires within a wired cable can be connected to the plug. The portion of the plunger 550 for each contact assembly 500 extending through the retainer 460 is then pulled vertically relative to the longitudinal axis of the plug 400, i.e., in the direction of arrow "H" shown in fig. 21 and 22, to cause the cam surface 552a of the recess 552 in the plunger 550 to travel along the spring member 540, thereby applying a mechanical load thereon. This application of mechanical load to spring member 540 causes the spring member to deflect in the direction of arrow "I" (i.e., from the closed position toward the open position). With the wiring terminals 530 in the open position, the electrical wiring is then inserted into the appropriate wiring receiving holes 466 in the holder 460. The wire receiving holes 466 and wire guides 468 guide the exposed ends of the wire into portions of the elongated openings 544 of the clamp springs 536 between the clamp bracket 532 and the clamp member 546. When the exposed end of each wire is positioned between the clamping bracket 532 and the clamping member 546, the respective plunger 550 is then pushed back toward the body 420, removing the mechanical load exerted by the plunger on the spring member 540, such that the stored energy of the spring member biases the spring member to the closed position to secure the wire between the clamping bracket 532 and the clamping member 546 and complete the conductive path between the wire and the contact member 510. To remove the wiring from the contact assemblies 500, the plunger 550 of each contact assembly 500 extending through the retainer 460 is pulled vertically relative to the longitudinal axis of the plug 400 to cause the cam surface 552a of the recess 552 in the plunger 550 to ride along the spring member 540, thereby applying a mechanical load on the spring member 540 to deflect the spring member from the closed position to the open position. With the wiring terminals 530 in the open position, the electrical wiring can be removed from the plug 400.

Referring now to fig. 23-26, an exemplary embodiment of a non-locking, blade electrical receptacle is shown. In the present exemplary embodiment, the receptacle 600 has a housing 620 and a plurality of contact assemblies within the housing, similar to those described herein and shown in fig. 8 and 9, and accessible from outside the housing. The case 620 has a main body 630, a front cover 650, and a rear cover 670. The front cover 650 is fixed to one side of the main body 630, and the rear cover 670 is fixed to the other side of the main body. The housing 620 is made of a suitable electrically insulating material, such as plastic, including injection molded thermoplastics, and is configured to be fitted in an electrical box.

The body 630 includes a plurality of chambers or cavities 632, see fig. 26. Each cavity 632 is configured to receive and position the contact assembly 100 within the body 630, as shown in fig. 26. Each contact assembly 100 is configured to receive wiring (such as wiring 700, etc.) and mate with a contact blade of a conventional plug connector as described above.

As shown in fig. 23, the front cover 650 of the jack 600 includes a face 652 having a plurality of blade receiving slots 654 through which the contact blades (e.g., the hot, neutral and ground contact blades) of the plug connector can be inserted into adjacent cavities 632 in the body 630 in a conventional manner. The front cover 650 has one or more mounting straps 656, which one or more mounting straps 656 are secured to an outer surface of the front cover using, for example, mechanical fasteners or adhesives. As is known, mounting straps 656 are used to secure the receptacle 600 to an electrical box via holes 658. The mounting band 656 may also be connected to an electrical ground via the contact assembly 100 within the body 630. The front cover 650 may be secured to the body 630 using mechanical fasteners, adhesives, or welding, such as sonic welding.

Referring to fig. 24 and 25, the back cover 670 may be secured to the body 630 using mechanical fasteners such as screws 672, adhesives, or welding such as sonic welding. The rear cover 670 includes a plurality of wire receiving holes 674. Each wire receiving aperture 674 is positioned to align with a cavity 632 in the body 630 such that wire may pass through the back cover 670 into the contact assembly 100, with the contact assembly 100 resting within the cavity 632 in the body 630. As shown, the rear cover 670 may also include a plurality of routing guides 76, the routing guides 76 extending outwardly from an outer surface 678 of the rear cover. In the illustrated embodiment, one wire guide 676 corresponds to one wire receiving hole 674. Each wiring guide 676 has an arcuate shape that corresponds to the circular shape of the wiring inserted into the wiring receiving hole 674. The rear cover 670 also includes a plurality of plunger openings 680, see fig. 25, the plunger openings 680 allowing a portion of the plunger 150 (which forms part of the contact assembly 100 described above) to extend outside of the housing 620.

Referring now to fig. 27-30, an exemplary embodiment of a switch is shown. In the exemplary embodiment, switch 720 has a housing 740 and a plurality of contact assemblies within the housing, similar to those described herein and shown in fig. 8 and 9, and accessible from outside the housing. However, in the present embodiment, the contact assembly 100 does not include the contact member 110 and the contact arm 134, as shown in fig. 31 and 32. Instead, the clamp bracket 132 will connect to a corresponding switch contact and/or ground connection within the housing 740.

The housing 740 has a main body 750, a front cover 770, and a rear cover 790. The front cover 770 is fixed to one side of the main body 750, and the rear cover 790 is fixed to the other side of the main body. The housing 740 is made of a suitable electrically insulating material, such as plastic, including injection molded thermoplastics, and is configured to be fitted in an electrical box. The body 750 includes a plurality of chambers or cavities 752, see FIG. 30. Each cavity 752 is configured to receive and position the contact assembly 100 within the body 750, as shown in fig. 30. Each contact assembly 100 is configured to receive wiring (such as wiring 700, etc.) and mate with a contact blade of a conventional plug connector as described above.

As shown in fig. 27, the front cover 770 of the switch 720 includes a face 772 having a switch arm aperture 774 through which a conventional switch arm of a toggle switch (toggle switch) may pass. The front cover 770 has one or more mounting straps 776 that are secured to the outer surface of the front cover using, for example, mechanical fasteners or adhesives. As is known, mounting straps 776 are used to secure switch 720 to the electrical box via hole 778. The mounting strap 776 may also be connected to an electrical ground via the contact assembly 100 within the body 750. The front cover 770 may be secured to the body 750 using mechanical fasteners, adhesives, or welding, such as sonic welding.

Referring to fig. 28 and 29, the rear cover 790 may be secured to the body 750 using mechanical fasteners, adhesives, or welding, such as sonic welding. The rear cover 790 includes a plurality of wire receiving apertures 792. Each wire receiving aperture 792 is positioned in alignment with a cavity 752 in the body 750 such that the wire may pass through the rear cover 790 into the contact assembly 100, the contact assembly 100 resting within the cavity 752 in the body 750. As shown, the rear cover 790 may also include a plurality of routing guides 794, the routing guides 794 extending outwardly from an outer surface 796 of the rear cover. In the illustrated embodiment, one wire guide 794 corresponds to one wire receiving hole 792. Each of the wiring guides 794 has an arcuate shape corresponding to a circular shape of the wiring inserted into the wiring receiving hole 792. The rear lid 790 also includes a plurality of plunger openings 798, see fig. 29, the plunger openings 798 allowing a portion of the plunger 150 (which forms part of the contact assembly 100 described above) to extend outside of the housing 740.

Although exemplary embodiments have been selected to illustrate the present invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes, modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. An electrical socket, comprising:

a housing having a plurality of cavities, a plurality of plunge receiving slots in a first side of the housing, a plurality of routing receiving holes, and a plurality of plunger openings in a second side of the housing; and

a plurality of contact assemblies, wherein one of the plurality of contact assemblies is positioned at least partially within one of the plurality of cavities, and wherein the one contact assembly is accessible from one of the plurality of wire receiving apertures and one of the plurality of plunger openings; and said one contact assembly is accessible from one of said plurality of blade receiving slots;

wherein each of the plurality of contact assemblies comprises:

a contact member having a contact body and a female contact extending from the contact body, wherein the female contact is aligned with one of the plurality of blade receiving slots;

a wiring terminal that forms an electrically conductive path with the contact member, the wiring terminal including a clamp bracket fixed to the contact member and a clamp spring fixed to the clamp bracket, the clamp spring being movable relative to the clamp bracket between a closed position in which wiring can be sandwiched between the clamp spring and the clamp bracket and an open position in which wiring can be inserted through one of the plurality of wiring receiving holes and between the clamp spring and the clamp bracket; and

a plunger positioned within one of the plurality of cavities and extending at least partially through one of the plurality of plunger openings, the plunger interacting with the clamp spring such that linear movement of the plunger in a first direction applies a mechanical load to the clamp spring to move the clamp spring from the closed position to the open position, and linear movement of the plunger in a second direction opposite the first direction removes the mechanical load from the clamp spring to bias the clamp spring from the open position to the closed position.

2. The electrical socket of claim 1, wherein the female contact is configured to receive a blade through one of the plurality of blade-receiving slots.

3. The electrical socket of claim 1, wherein the plunger is made of a non-conductive material.

4. The electrical socket of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of blade receiving slots has an arcuate shape or is substantially straight.

5. The electrical socket of claim 1, wherein movement of the plunger in the first and second directions is parallel to the gripping bracket.

6. A power cord connector comprising:

a power line housing having a plurality of cavities, a plurality of blade receiving slots, a cable receiving aperture, and a retainer within the housing, the retainer having a plurality of wiring receiving apertures and a plurality of plunger openings; and

a plurality of contact assemblies, wherein one of the plurality of contact assemblies is at least partially positioned within one of the plurality of cavities, and wherein the one contact assembly is accessible from one of the plurality of plunger openings and one of the plurality of wire receiving apertures in the retainer; and said one contact assembly is accessible from one of said plurality of blade receiving slots;

wherein each of the plurality of contact assemblies comprises:

a wiring terminal that forms an electrically conductive path with the contact member, the wiring terminal including a clamp bracket fixed to the contact member and a clamp spring fixed to the clamp bracket, the clamp spring being movable relative to the clamp bracket between a closed position in which wiring can be sandwiched between the clamp spring and the clamp bracket and an open position in which wiring can be inserted through one of the plurality of wiring receiving holes in the holder and between the clamp spring and the clamp bracket; and

a plunger positioned within one of the plurality of cavities and extending at least partially through one of the plurality of plunger openings in the retainer, the plunger interacting with the clamp spring such that linear movement of the plunger in a first direction applies a mechanical load to the clamp spring to move the clamp spring from the closed position to the open position, and linear movement of the plunger in a second direction opposite the first direction removes the mechanical load from the clamp spring to bias the clamp spring from the open position to the closed position.

7. The power cord connector of claim 6, wherein said female contact is configured to receive a blade through one of said plurality of blade receiving slots.

8. The power cord connector of claim 6, wherein said plunger is made of a non-conductive material.

9. The power cord connector of claim 6, wherein each of said plurality of blade receiving slots has an arcuate shape or is substantially straight.

10. The power cord connector of claim 6, wherein movement of said plunger in said first and second directions is parallel to said gripping cradle.

11. A power cord plug, comprising:

a housing having a plurality of cavities, a plurality of plunge receiving slots, a cable receiving bore, and a retainer within the housing, the retainer having a plurality of routing receiving bores and a plurality of plunger openings; and

wherein each of the plurality of contact assemblies comprises:

a contact member having a contact body and a contact blade extending from the contact body, wherein the contact blade is aligned with one of the plurality of blade receiving slots such that the blade can pass through the blade receiving slot and extend from the housing;

a wiring terminal that forms an electrically conductive path with the contact member, the wiring terminal including a clamp bracket fixed to the contact body and a clamp spring fixed to the clamp bracket, the clamp spring being movable relative to the clamp bracket between a closed position in which wiring can be clamped between the clamp spring and the clamp bracket and an open position in which wiring can be inserted through one of the plurality of wiring receiving holes and between the clamp spring and the clamp bracket; and

12. The power cord plug of claim 11, wherein said contact blade extends from said housing.

13. The power cord plug of claim 11, wherein said contact blades are generally flat and each of said plurality of blade-receiving channels is generally straight.

14. The power cord plug of claim 11, wherein said contact blade is arcuate and each of said plurality of blade-receiving channels is arcuate.

15. The power cord plug of claim 11, wherein said plunger is made of a non-conductive material.

16. The power cord plug of claim 11, wherein movement of the plunger in the first and second directions is parallel to the clamp bracket.

17. An electrical wiring device for installation into an electrical box, the electrical wiring device comprising:

a housing having a plurality of cavities, a plurality of wiring receiving holes, and a plurality of plunger openings; and

a plurality of contact assemblies;

wherein one of the plurality of contact assemblies is at least partially positioned within one of the plurality of cavities, and wherein the one contact assembly is accessible from one of the plurality of wire receiving apertures and one of the plurality of plunger openings;

wherein each of the plurality of contact assemblies comprises:

a wiring terminal including a clamp bracket fixed to a clamp spring movable relative to the clamp bracket between a closed position in which a wiring can be sandwiched between the clamp spring and the clamp bracket and an open position in which a wiring can be inserted through one of the plurality of wiring receiving holes and between the clamp spring and the clamp bracket; and

18. The electrical wiring device as in claim 17, wherein said plunger is made of a non-conductive material.

19. The electrical wiring device of claim 17 wherein movement of the plunger in the first and second directions is parallel to the clamp bracket.

20. An electrical socket, comprising:

a housing having a plurality of cavities, a plurality of blade receiving openings, a plurality of wiring receiving holes, and a plurality of plunger openings; and

a plurality of contact assemblies;

wherein one of the plurality of contact assemblies is at least partially positioned within one of the plurality of cavities, and wherein the one contact assembly is accessible from one of the plurality of wire receiving apertures and one of the plurality of plunger openings; and the one contact assembly is accessible from one of the plurality of blade receiving openings;

wherein each of the plurality of contact assemblies comprises:

a contact member having a contact body and a female or male electrical contact extending from the contact body, wherein the female or male electrical contact is aligned with one of the plurality of blade receiving slots;

a plunger positioned within one of the plurality of cavities and extending at least partially through one of the plurality of plunger openings, the plunger interacting with the clamp spring such that linear movement of the plunger in a first direction parallel to the clamp bracket applies a mechanical load to the clamp spring to move the clamp spring from the closed position to the open position, and linear movement of the plunger in a second direction opposite the first direction and parallel to the clamp bracket removes the mechanical load from the clamp spring to bias the clamp spring from the open position to the closed position.

21. The electrical socket of claim 20, wherein each of the plurality of blade receiving openings comprises a slot.

22. The electrical socket of claim 20, wherein the electrical contact is a female contact or a male contact.

23. A power cord connector comprising:

a housing having a plurality of cavities, a plurality of blade receiving openings, a cable receiving bore, and a retainer positioned within the housing, the retainer having a plurality of wire receiving bores and a plurality of plunger openings; and

a plurality of contact assemblies;

wherein one of the plurality of contact assemblies is at least partially positioned within one of the plurality of cavities, and wherein the one contact assembly is accessible from one of the plurality of wire receiving apertures and one of the plurality of plunger openings in the retainer; and the one contact assembly is accessible from one of the plurality of blade receiving openings;

wherein each of the plurality of contact assemblies comprises:

a contact member having a contact body and an electrical contact extending from the contact body, wherein the electrical contact is aligned with one of the plurality of blade receiving openings;

a wiring terminal that forms an electrically conductive path with the contact member, the wiring terminal including a clamp bracket fixed to the contact body and a clamp spring fixed to the clamp bracket, the clamp spring being movable relative to the clamp bracket between a closed position in which wiring can be clamped between the clamp spring and the clamp bracket and an open position in which wiring can be inserted through one of the plurality of wiring receiving holes in the holder and between the clamp spring and the clamp bracket; and

a plunger positioned within one of the plurality of cavities and extending at least partially through one of the plurality of plunger openings in the retainer, the plunger interacting with the clamp spring such that linear movement of the plunger in a first direction parallel to the clamp bracket applies a mechanical load to the clamp spring to move the clamp spring from the closed position to the open position, and linear movement of the plunger in a second direction opposite the first direction and parallel to the clamp bracket removes the mechanical load from the clamp spring to bias the clamp spring from the open position to the closed position.

24. The power cord connector of claim 23, wherein each of said plurality of jack receiving openings comprises a slot.

25. The power cord connector of claim 23, wherein said electrical contact is a female contact or a male contact.

26. A power cord plug, comprising:

a power line housing having a plurality of cavities, a plurality of blade receiving openings, and a retainer within the housing, the retainer having a plurality of wire receiving holes and a plurality of plunger openings; and

a plurality of contact assemblies, wherein one of the plurality of contact assemblies is at least partially positioned within one of the plurality of cavities, and wherein the one contact assembly is accessible from one of the plurality of plunger openings and one of the plurality of wire receiving apertures in the retainer; and said one contact assembly accessible from one of said plurality of blade-receiving openings;

wherein each of the plurality of contact assemblies comprises:

a contact member having a contact body and a contact blade extending from the contact body, wherein the contact blade is aligned with one of the plurality of blade receiving openings such that the contact blade can pass through the blade receiving opening and extend from the housing;

a wiring terminal that forms an electrically conductive path with the contact member, the wiring terminal having a clamping bracket fixed to the contact body and a clamping spring fixed to the clamping bracket, the clamping spring being movable relative to the clamping bracket between a closed position in which wiring can be clamped between the clamping spring and the clamping bracket and an open position in which wiring can be inserted through one of the plurality of wiring receiving holes in the holder and between the clamping spring and the clamping bracket; and

27. An electrical wiring device for installation into an electrical box, the electrical wiring device comprising:

a plurality of contact assemblies, wherein one of the plurality of contact assemblies is positioned at least partially within one of the plurality of cavities, and wherein the one contact assembly is accessible from one of the plurality of wire receiving apertures and one of the plurality of plunger openings;

wherein each of the plurality of contact assemblies comprises: